Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Lunchtime!” Mother Qin knocked on the door to Qin Guanglin’s room, but he left his room only after some time.
“You’re so slow. You’re not even eager when it comes to eating,” Mother Qin nagged while she placed the cleanly-washed bowls and chopsticks on the table.
As she carried the last dish out, He Fang casually said, “Go wash your hands first.”
Qin Guanglin glanced at Mother Qin before looking at He Fang. For some reason, he felt that this scene was unusually harmonious.
“Why are you in a daze?” Mother Qin felt slightly angry when she saw how he was dilly-dallying. “Scoop some rice for He Fang after you wash your hands.”
The moment he turned his head, He Fang had already brought her bowl to the pot. Mother Qin patted Qin Guanglin once and then turned around. “I’ll do it. I’ll do it. He Fang, take a seat first.”
“It’s fine. Eat first.” While speaking, He Fang filled a bowl with rice and placed it at the head of the table.
“I only have a little appetite. I eat…” Before Mother Qin could finish, she saw that the bowl was already half-filled with rice, so she swallowed the rest of her words.
She glanced at He Fang in slight surprise. Since her appetite was remarkably stable, she ate roughly the same amount for every meal. At other times, she would prefer to eat more dishes, but she would not eat any more rice.
He Fang scooped rice into another bowl, with the rice almost overflowing. When she turned around, she saw Mother Qin’s gaze on her, which made her pause briefly. As she placed the rice bowl on the table, she continued scooping rice with a smile on her face. “Back home, I’m in charge of scooping rice, so I’m very used to it. Go ahead and eat first. I’ll scoop more if it’s not enough.”
“It’s enough. It’s enough.” Mother Qin looked left and right. Seeing that everything was done, she sat down.
After washing his hands, Qin Guanglin sat in front of the table. He felt that this was unreal. Within a few short hours, He Fang already blended in with them?
As expected, she was not a simple character. Not only was she adept at dealing with him, but she was also quite impressive at dealing with a woman like his mom.
“This girl has such great culinary skills.” Mother Qin’s eyes brightened after having a mouthful of the last dish He Fang served. “He Fang fried these mixed vegetables. Lin, eat more of it.”
Qin Guanglin dug into the rice and hummed twice. A sense of crisis emerged from the depths of his heart. Did this woman have no flaws?
Although having a formidable girlfriend was a good thing, he definitely could not let her beat him at everything. He had to think of a way to regain his dignity.
He Fang smiled as she looked at Qin Guanglin, eating from the bowl she was holding. And it seemed that her gaze never left him. From the side, Mother Qin stole a few glances at her before she looked at her son. She then sank into deep thought.
Is this what they call ignorance is bliss?
Of course, she knew her son was not dumb, but she also knew that her son was keenly aware that this girl was a catch on all fronts. It was evident that this brat had gotten a bargain.
Forget it. She should wait and see. Perhaps it was this dumb lad’s sincerity that moved her. He even brought her to their house in broad daylight to confess. Tsk, tsk…
“Dear, eat more. Treat this as your own home,” Mother Qin said.
He Fang nodded and put more food into her mouth.
Although Qin Guanglin felt dispirited, the meal was so incredibly delicious that he inhaled an enormous bowl of overflowing rice. Just when he was about to stand up and take more rice after he had swallowed the last mouthful, a small hand reached over to him from the side.
Qin Guanglin held on tightly to his bowl before turning to look at He Fang. What was she trying to do?
“Let go.” He Fang raised her chopsticks and pretended to hit him. She then smoothly took the bowl from him and turned around to scoop rice.
The confusion was written all over Qin Guanglin’s face. Before he could say anything, Mother Qin patted him on the back again.
“Scoop your rice.” Mother Qin’s lips moved as she glared at him.
He felt a little aggrieved. He had wanted to scoop his rice, but she snatched his bowl.
After filling his bowl with rice, He Fang placed it in front of Qin Guanglin. She then lifted her bowl and started taking small mouthfuls, and she looked like she was in great spirits.
Qin Guanglin glanced at the overflowing rice in his bowl before he looked at He Fang.
‘It’s not like I never scooped rice for you!’
He lifted the bowl and took two mouthfuls. How fragrant.
Because He Fang was around, there was a bit too much food than usual. After all of them had eaten their fill, there was still food leftover, which Mother Qin subsequently placed in the fridge. But when she turned around, she saw that He Fang had already brought the empty bowls into the kitchen.
“Dear, leave them there. I’ll do it. I’ll do it.” As she spoke, Mother Qin did not stop what she was doing. She hurriedly brought everything else on the table to the kitchen. “Wash your hands and take a break in Lin’s room. I’ll take care of these.”
After she failed to dissuade Mother Qin, He Fang had no choice but to leave the kitchen. Qin Guanglin was boiling water at the moment. “Go into the room. I’ll bring the water to you in a bit.”
He Fang did not respond. She dawdled around the living room and then halted in front of the split-leaf philodendron beside the television. She then watered it a little using a spray bottle and then reached for a yellowish cloth, wiping it on the plant’s leaves.
“We’ve run out of dishwashing liquid. Lin, go to Old Pan’s store and buy a bottle.”
Qin Guanglin let out a sound of affirmation. He then waved at He Fang before he went next door to buy dishwashing liquid from Old Pan’s convenience store.
“Little Qin, you brought your girlfriend home today?” Old Pan could not help but gossip when he saw Qin Guanglin.
“Who told you that?” As he took the dishwashing liquid, Qin Guanglin turned his head in surprise.
“Hehe.” Pleased, Old Pan chuckled twice. “Everyone saw it. You brought a girl home, and then Aunt Xu went out and bought an enormous pile of groceries. Isn’t it obvious?”
Mother Qin’s surname was Xu. After their bored neighbors witnessed these two events, they immediately linked the two matters together. They then unleashed their powerful gossiping skills and filled in the gaps, and guessed the truth of the matter.
“Uncle Pan, I suggest that you switch jobs and become a detective.” Qin Guanglin took out his wallet. He grabbed a few lollipops from the cashier counter and placed them beside the dishwashing liquid after he thought for a bit. “How much?”
“Thirteen dollars and fifty cents.” Uncle Pan chuckled again when he saw the lollipops. “I was wondering who that girl was looking for when she was walking around here a few days ago. I can’t believe she was looking for you.”
“A few days ago?” Qin Guanglin paused for a moment. “You probably saw wrongly. Today’s the first time I brought her here.”
“Tch. You young’uns all like to hide things when you like someone. Here. Six dollars and fifty cents in change.” Uncle Pan gave him the change. “Aren’t you going to buy more snacks?”
Qin Guanglin turned to look. Uncle Pan pointed at the shelves in the snacks section and said, “Everyone likes that snack. That one, and that one too. Buy all of them. Come over when you’re free, and I’ll teach you a thing or two about making girls happy.”
“Your tricks are old-fashioned. They don’t work anymore.” Qin Guanglin turned around and took all the snacks the man had pointed to. Those who ran stores knew what each group of customers liked to eat. With this point, Uncle Pan was right.
“And this girl doesn’t need cajoling either.”
She was always smiling like a fool. He did not know why she was so happy.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s old or new, as long as it works.” Old Pan wanted to give him change again.
“It’s fine. Mom is still waiting to use the dishwashing liquid. Bye, Uncle Pan.”
These neighbors were great in all aspects, but their mouths were like loudspeakers. As long as one person knew which of the neighbors found a good job or a partner, everyone would know about it the next day.
“Buying a bottle of dishwashing liquid even took you so long,” Mother Qin nagged. After she heard the door opening, she came out of the kitchen to take the dishwashing liquid. She then stopped complaining when she saw a huge bag of snacks that Qin Guanglin was carrying.
“You’ve come to your senses, chap.”